Just another Day at Shannon

Two US veterans for Peace entered Shannon airport around 10 a.m. yesterday morning, St Patrick;s Day, to approach a US plane they believed was carrying up to 300 armed troops to war zones. They are Ken Mayers and Tarak Kauff. The two were arrested and this morning they have been denied bail in Ennis District Court. They had been questioned in Shannon Garda station throughout yesterday and held there overnight

According to Ed Horgan of Shannonwatch an OMNI Air International plane, tail number N351AX, had arrived at Shannon Airport about 8.30 a.m. from Eielson US air force base in Fairbanks Alaska, most likely on its way to the Middle East with up to 300 armed US troops.

The Veterans were carrying a large banner that said:

U.S. VETERANS SAY RESPECT IRISH NEUTRALITY

U.S. WAR MACHINE OUT OF SHANNON AIRPORT

VETERANS FOR PEACE

They walked across the air field but were apprehended by airport security and Gardai before reaching the plane. This morning they were charged in Ennis Court with trespass and criminal damage.

The Peace Veterans' action happened before a scheduled protest at Shannon that was later attended by over two dozen people.

Today there is outrage among peace activists that bail has been denied to their fellow protestors.

There were three other protests, two within the airport and one outside the boundaries, yesterday. Two peace activists had unfurled a protest banner inside the terminal around 10 a.m. but were persuaded by Gardaí to desist. I arrived shortly afterwards and showed my own protest sign saying MURDER via SHANNON. As I had done in February 2006 I also recited the poem A Dream of Peace aloud as a prelude to a speech about what was happening at Shannon. Three Gardaí arrived and after dialogue ordered me to put away the sign which eventually I did. Later, at the protest outside we all tried to hold our flags or banners against a swirling wind and then approached the waiting Gardaí where Ed Horgan challenged them about their refusal to search planes passing through Shannon. Several others including three different US Veterans for Peace added their voices to the urgent pleas to the Gardaí to do their duty at Shannon airport.

Before leaving the remaining Veterans for Peace led the group in singing a protest song to the air of Galway Bay. The first verse went as follows:

Do you know who flies across the seas to Ireland?
The US Army has the right of way
You can sit and watch the aircraft land at Shannon
Transporting troops and weapons every day

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Judge Durcan has decided (Wednesday) to keep the two Peace Veterans in Limerick prison for two more weeks. Possible appeal hearing in Dublin March 28.
Anyone who has spent time in prison will know how welcome and helpful supporting cards and letters are. Please flood them with these

KEN and TARAK were in court this morning in Cloverhill, Dublin. They
were given bail (on their own bond each €2500) and will be released later today
from Limerick prison to a named house of a Limerick supporter. Must
stay away from airports and surrender passports. Good support in small
court room.

For the past 4 months these two great peace veterans have taken the country by storm. They have participated in and helped organise protests and rallies up and down the country. They have been invited to speak in numerous locations and as long as they are here they are doing a tremendous job of educating the rest of us about US war crimes around the world and Ireland's participation in them. Every Tuesday they protest outside the Dáil where their discussions with Irish people and Americans and the world's tourists raises the profile of Irish complicity in US war crimes higher and higher.

But we are intent on keeping them here to continue that good work it seems. Yesterday Judge Robert Eager refused to vary their bail terms - meaning that they must remain in Ireland for at least 4 more months and after that possibly for years.

While this is a cruel blow to the 2 peace veterans, from a selfish point of view it is of great assistance to the Irish peace movement and all who want to end Irish participation in wars anywhere.

Great to hear of the campaigning work of these marooned/trapped veterans. It's a hideous shackle on one's life having these punitive bail conditions imposed. Very interesting though to read about Robert Eager's trajectory. I engaged him as my solicitor for a brief time when facing sentence for criminal damage of a US warplane in 2003. I felt some guilt about dismissing him as he seemed very decent, but now feel none seeing how he's used his position as the Judge in this case!